Polish Innovation Surveys: Current Status and Analysis of Results

In Poland, R&D and innovation surveys have a long and rich tradition going back to the early 1960s, and questions on, for example, expenditures on new technological processes have been included in special surveys and studies carried out over a period of nearly 40 years by the Ministry of Industry. This tradition is now blossoming, against the background of a tremendous rise in interest in innovation problems. Many theoretical papers and studies have been written on the subject,1 and the high level of interest has found a focus in the process of establishing a National System of Innovation in Poland, a process which involves many official agencies and advisory bodies, in addition to individual scientists and other specialists.